Kabal of the Black Heart

Dark Eldar Portal

The Kabal of the Black Heart is the single largest and most powerful Kabal in Commorragh, and because of this, they are the dominant power in the city. The Kabal's Supreme Lord is Asdrubael Vect, the oldest known Dark Eldar, and the supposed founder of the Dark City itself. The fact that the Kabal's founder is old enough to have witnessed first hand the birth of Slaanesh means that, along with being the largest and most powerful Kabal, they are also the first Kabal to be founded.^[3]

Kabal of the Black Heart Archon: Asdrubael Vect Colours: Black\Silver\Maroon weapons Speciality: Large scale raids, heavy fortification sieges

Overview

Kabalite Warrior Morgat Vykreen of the Splinter of the Black Chalice of the Shard of the Tainted Blood of the Kabal of the Black Heart^[7a]

The Kabal of the Black Heart is the oldest and greatest of its kind. It was originally funded by Vect as the Cult of the Black Heart as a clandestine organisation hidden within the noble houses that originally ruled Commorragh, through which Vect took power over the city by using his agents to assassinate his rivals^[12a] and staging the Commorragh Raid to weaken the nobility.^[4] In the wake of the coup, the newly-renamed Kabal became the dominant power in the city.^[12a] The Kabal also fought against the Sun Cults of Commorragh in its early days.^[4]

The Kabal of the Black Heart is a vast and sprawling organisation, able to support numerous rival Archons within its hierarchical structure. Each Archon controls a separate faction within the Black Heart, and each vies fiercely with his rivals for the patronage of Supreme Overlord Vect. None brave outright murder, however, for only a fool would blunt one of Asdrubael Vect’s favourite tools. So complete is Vect’s stranglehold upon Commorragh that none of these highly placed subordinate Archons dare challenge the Overlord’s supremacy in anything but the most private dreams or fantasies. Even then, they do so with caution, for it is said that Vect knows well the scent of treachery, and reads the minds of lesser mortals like an open book.^[4][12a]

This Kabal’s military strength is virtually unassailable. Countless thousands of Kabalite Warriors, Commorrite mercenaries and lethal gunships stand ready to exterminate their foes at the slightest crook of Vect’s corpse-white finger. A cast iron bond with the Wych Cult of Strife puts yet more might at the Supreme Overlord's fingertips, providing him with the closest thing the Dark City has seen to genuine allies. Coupled with the impossibly intricate web of spies, informers and agents that Vect has scattered through every stratum of Commorragh, the Kabal of the Black Heart holds more power than several of their largest rivals combined.^[4] The Black Heart's spy networks extend past the confines of Commorragh itself and into the wider Aeldari race, as spies report to Vect from within Craftworlds, Ynnari groups, Exodite worlds, and even Harlequin masques.^[12a]

Notable Actions

• The Ghorvenfal Raid^[4b]
• The raid on Trantor^[14]
• 883.M41 - The Kyobin Raid^[10]
• 967.M41 - The Battle of Thersuis^[13]
• ~999.M41 - The War of Dark Revelations^[3]
• 999.M41 - The Raid on Bakka^[4a]
• 999.M41 - The Battle of Duriel. Vect dispatches Kabal forces to aid his Craftworld Eldar kin against Tyranids.^[8]
• 999.M41 - The Battle of Khaine's Gate. Vect leads the defense of Khaine's Gate against Daemons.^[7b]
• M42 - The raid on Somniad^[11]
• M42 - The raid on Lapradus^[7b]
• M42 - The raid on St Dornas Port^[12b]
• M42 - The Dark Eldar Civil War. Vect and his allies attempt to curb the power of the Ynnari within Commorragh.^[9]

Forces

• Shard of the Tainted Blood^[7a]
  • Splinter of the Black Chalice^[7a]
  • Splinter of the Open Wound^[7a]

Known members

Banner

• Asdrubael Vect, Supreme Lord of the Kabal of the Black Heart
• Gruemeneal, a Haemonculus.
• No'akei, Daughter of Pain, was originally affiliated with The Black Heart, until the events leading up to and after The Fall of Medusa V.
• Archon Khorrzh Vhrex^[5]
• Archon Kulith Scourgehand^[6]
• Archon Sarnak^[8]
• Archon Tahril, oversaw Dark Eldar forces in the Kaurava system.
• Archon Valossian Sythrac^[2]
• Archsybarite Iyshak Xosh^[6]
• Sybarite Kel Urect^[1]
• Elixicant Menesh^[6]
• Crimson Duellist Theskril^[6]
• Skysplinter Assassin Khaeyl^[6]
• Heavy Gunner Quaez Ignyss^[6]
• Kabalite Warrior Faeth Shardheart^[6]
• Kabalite Warrior Morgat Vykreen^[7a]

Allies

• The Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue
• The Wych Cult of Strife
• The Prophets of Flesh

Relics

• Writ of the Living Muse

See also

• List of Kabals

Sources

• 1: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm: Campaign — Marconia, archive screen
• 2: Path of the Archon (Novel), Chapter 10
• 3: Codex: Dark Eldar (5th Edition) pgs. 19-20
• 4: Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition) (E-Book) — Three Ages of the Dark City
  • 4a: The Age of Plenty
  • 4b: The Ghorvenfal Raid
• 5: Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition Rulebook pg. 159
• 6: Warhammer Combat Cards, card descriptions
• 7: Codex: Drukhari (8th Edition)
  • 7a: pgs. 18, 40
  • 7b: pgs. 45-46
• 8: Valedor (Novel) - Chapter 14
• 9: Psychic Awakening: Phoenix Rising pg. 16-17
• 10: Warhammer 40,000 7th Edition Rulebook (E-Book) - Time of Ending
• 11: Warhammer Community: Free Combat Patrol Rule Downloads Let You Fight Fast, Balanced Skirmishes in the #New40k The Blades of Torment PDF, pg. 1 (Posted on 20/06/2023) (Last accessed on 08/07/2023)
• 12: Codex: Drukhari (9th Edition):
  • 12a: pg. 14 — Kabal of the Black Heart
  • 12b: pgs. 34-35
• 13: Codex: Legion of the Damned (E-Book) — A Legion Lost
• 14: Warhammer 40,000 4th Edition Rulebook, pg. 147

Uncited

• Codex: Dark Eldar (3rd Edition)
• The Fall of Medusa V (booklet)
• Dawn of War: Soulstorm
• The Torturer's Tale
• White Dwarf 372 (UK), pg. 52